Checked
Written from official fraud-agency notices. Every figure and piece of advice is checked against the sources listed at the bottom.
What we found
Set out in the same plain format as reader reports.
- What kind of scam?
- Fake investments
- In short
- Someone you met online shows you a trading app and fake profits. You can withdraw a little, then a fee blocks the rest, and the account disappears.
- How does it reach you?
- Social media or dating app
- What does the message look like?
- Example messages written by us.My uncle taught me this. I made 40% last month on this app. Start with $200, withdraw anytime. Later: To withdraw you must pay a 20% tax in advance.
- How can you spot it?
- Guaranteed profits or returns
No real investment is guaranteed. - Little or no risk
Promises of easy money with little effort. - A "secret method" or "proven system"
Few details and nothing in writing. - A fee to take your money out
The balance on screen is made up. Then they close the accounts and vanish.
- Guaranteed profits or returns
- Is it growing?
- Yes, it is growing
- What do the sources say?
- Where do I report it?
- FTC ReportFraud
reportfraud.ftc.gov - SEC tips
sec.gov/tcr - FBI IC3
ic3.gov
- FTC ReportFraud
If this happened to you
- Stop sending money. Do not pay a fee to withdraw.
- Check the company on your regulator's register (in the US, Investor.gov and the SEC's EDGAR database).
- Keep screenshots, wallet addresses and transaction IDs.
- Report it to your regulator and your local fraud service. In the US that is sec.gov/tcr and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Sources (3)
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission: Investment scams (Checked 18 Oct 2026)
- US Federal Trade Commission: FTC testifies before the Joint Economic Committee on the agency's efforts to combat fraud (25 Mar 2026)
- Homeland Security Today: Cryptocurrency, AI and cyber scams cost U.S. almost $21 billion in 2025, according to new FBI Internet Crime Report (2026)